Boat hull keel construction



April 18, 1961 WARD ET AL 2,980,049

BOAT HULL KEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 12, 1958 William W. Ward Milton H. Ward 1N VEN TORS BY m nited States Patent BOAT HULL KEEL CONSTRUCTION William W. Ward, 808 N. Hyatt St., and Milton H. Ward, 401 Union Ave., both of Monticello, Ark.

Filed Aug. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 754,593

1 Claim. or. 114-140 This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in boat construction, and more specifically to an .improved metal boat construction.

In the construction of a boat, the keel is the backbone of the boat. However, in the construction of metal boats, the provision of a suitable keel presents a difficult problem both from a weight and a course standpoint. On the other hand, if the keel is omitted from the metal boat, there is a tendency for the boat to buckle or distort.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a boat hull construction wherein there is provided a light weight, but extremely rigid keel construction, which keel construction is of such a nature whereby it may be readily incorporated in the conventional construction of a .boat without raising an engineering or a production problem.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved boat construction wherein the boat is primarily formed of a pair of bottom sections which are joined together along the keel of the boat, the bottom sections having disposed therebetween a keel member, the keel member being so connected to the bottom sections Whereby a water-tight joint is provided. I

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved keel construction for metal boats, the keel construction including a keel member which is preferably extruded whereby it has a relatively great rigidity, the keel member having disposed on opposite sides thereof depending flanges of the bottom sections, the flanges being rigidly secured to the keel member to form in conjunction therewith an extremely rigid keel for a metal boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved keel construction for metal boats, the keel construction including a keel member which has secured to opposite sides thereof depending flanges of bottom sections, the connection between the keel member and the bottom sections being such that a water tight joint is provided, there being additionally provided a keel protecting member which is secured to the bottom sections and which encases the keel construction so as to prevent any damage thereto.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accom-- 1 vention that the entire metal boat being formed of two halves with the bottom sections 12 and'14 forming the halves of the boat. I y

Such boat halves may be formed from metal sheets by a standard operation used in large presses. However, the

invention is not intended to be limited to a boat construction wherein the two halves of a boat are formed of single machines. a

The bottom section 12 terminates in a centrally located depending flange 16. The bottom section 14 terminates in a similar depending flange 18 which is disposed in spacedparallel relation to the flange 16. Thus the flanges 16 and 18 function partially as a keel. I The boat hull 10 also includes a keel assembly which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 20. The keel assembly 20 includes a keel member 22. The keel member 22 is T-shaped in cross-section and conformed of a vertically disposed-stand '24 and a horizontally disposed cross portion 26. Although the keel member 22 may be of any construction, it is preferred that it be extruded for cheapness and rigidity. It is to be understood that the keel member 22 will conform to the outline of the bottom ofthe boat 10. a

The-keel member 22 is disposed intermediate the bottom sections 12 and 14 with the stem 24 being disposed intermediate the flanges 16 and 18. The cross portion 26 overlies the upper surfaces of the bottom sections 12 and 14 immediately adjacent the flanges 16 and 18. It is to be noted that the keel member 22 is of a cross section whereby the bottom sections 12 and 14 interfit therewith.

Suitable securing means is used to secure the flanges 16 and 18 to the keel member 22. These securing means include rivets 28 which are spaced longitudinally of the boat hull 10 and which pass through the stem 24 and the flanges 16 and 18. In addition to the rivets 28, suitable welding 30 is provided to secure together the flanges 16 and 18 and the stem 24. The lower edges of the flanges 16 and 18 and the stem 24 terminate adjacent each other. The welding 30 is across the lower edges of the flanges 16 and 18 and the stem 24 and thus serves to both reinforce the connection between the flanges 16 and 18 and stem 24 and to seal this connection. Thus a water-proof joint is provided.

Because the keel member 22 is provided and because it is preferably extruded, it will be readily apparent that this will greatly add to the rigidity of the boat construc tion. Furthermore, the flanges 16 and 18, being rigidly secured to the keel member 22, to form a rigid keel unit, adds to the rigidity of the boat construction 10.

In order to both protect the keel assembly 20 and rigidify the boat construction 10 by reinforcing the keel assembly 20, there is provided a keel protecting member or housing which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 32. The keel protecting member 32 is of a channel-shaped cross-section and is preferably formed of an extrusion. The keel protecting member 32 includes an upwardly opening V-shaped portion 34 which terminates at the upper edges thereof in outwardly directed flanges 36 underlies the bottom section 12 and is secured thereto by a row of rivets 40. The rivets 40 pass through aligned openings 44 and 46 formed in the flange 36 and the bottom section 12, respectively. The flange 38 underlies the bottom section 14 and is secured thereto by a plurality of longitudinally spaced rivets 48', which rivets pass through aligned openings 50 and 52 in the flange 38 and the bottom section 14, respectively.

As stated hereinbefore, the keel protecting member 32 both protects the keel assembly 20 and reinforces the keel assembly 20. The keel protecting member 32, together with the bottom sections 12 and 14 form a box like keel in addition to the keel assembly 29. The rigidity of a box type member is well known and need not be expounded further.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there has been devised an improved boat hull construction, which boat hull construction is of such a nature whereby the entire halves of a boat may be readily stamped from metal sheets or plates and while retaining the sheets of a minimum thickness, the boat hull may have a rigidity such as is desired and obtainable only through a more rigid construction. provision of a simple keel construction which increases the rigidity of the boat hull, a highly desirable Watertight joint is provided between the two halves of the boat hull thus eliminating the general problem of leakage.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a boat hull construction of the type including a pair of adjacent transversely spaced and longitudinally extending sheet metal bottom sections, a keel construction comprising a pair of generally parallel and depending flanges formed on the adjacent edges of said sections, a longitudinally extending keel and stiffening member disposed intermediate said flanges and extending the entire depth thereof with the lower edge of In addition to the said stiffening member being substantially coplanar with the lower edges of said flanges, means clampingly securing said stifiening member between said flanges with the opposing surfaces of said flanges in surface to surface abutting relation with the opposite sides of said stifiening member, sealing means sealingly securing the lower edges of said stifiening member and said flanges together whereby to form a fluid-tight seal between said bottom sections, and a-longitudinally extending keel protective member generally U-shaped in cross-section including a pair of upstanding longitudinally extending sides interconnected at their lower edges by means of a bight portion, means securing the upper edges of said sides to said bottom sec-- tions at points spaced longitudinally therealong and laterally and outwardly of said flanges with said sides and bight portion enclosing and spaced from said flanges, said stiffening member being generally T-shaped in crosssection and including an upper cross portion whose lower surfaces overlie the upper surfaces of said bottom sections adjacent said flanges in surface to surface contacting relation therewith, said clamping securing means comprising fasteners secnred through said flanges and stiffening member at points spaced longitudinally along said keel construction, said sealing securing means comprising welding securing the lower edges of said flanges and stifiening member together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,622 Seymour Aug. 11', 1891 655,994 Riess Aug. 14, 1900 1,061,826 Didlake May 13, 1913 2,065,480 Soper Dec. 22, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 140,127 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1920 383.633 Germany Oct. 26, 1923 

